Summary of Responses to Animal Cruelty
The table below summarizes the responses to animal cruelty, the mechanism by which they are intended to work, the conditions under which they ought to work best, and some factors you should consider before implementing a particular response. It is critical that you tailor responses to local circumstances and that you can justify each response based on reliable analysis. In most cases, an effective strategy will involve implementing several different responses. Law enforcement responses alone are seldom effective in reducing or solving the problem.
| # | Response | How It Works | Works Best If… | Considerations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Responses that Increase Suspected Animal Cruelty Referrals | ||||
| 1 | Training across disciplines and developing cross-reporting mechanisms | Increases the likelihood that animal cruelty will be detected | ...specific reporting protocols are established; investigations are conducted only by the agency with the legal authority to do so | Information must be shared without violating client confidentiality |
| 2 | Training veterinarians to recognize and report non-accidental injuries | Increases the likelihood that animal cruelty will be detected | ...veterinarians ask about the causes of injury and observe the animal for unusual behavior; veterinarians know how to report their suspicions to police or the local animal welfare agency | Many offenders will not seek treatment for the animals they have mistreated |
| 3 | Increasing public awareness and surveillance | Increases the likelihood that animal cruelty will be detected | ...information campaigns highlight the warning signs of ordinary mistreatment, rather than relying on sensational cases; citizen patrols are alerted to the warning signs of animal cruelty | Residents may choose not to report because they fear retribution by the animal's owner |
| 4 | Creating mechanisms for reporting suspected animal abuse anonymously | Increases the likelihood that animal cruelty will be detected | ...animal cruelty reporting is made a part of other crime reporting programs or city service request systems; dispatchers are not given the reporting party's name | Residents may not know how to access crime reporting systems; partnering with area Crime Stoppers can help publicize recent crimes and the availability of rewards |
| Responses that Increase Expertise in Preventing Animal Cruelty | ||||
| 5 | Developing expertise among criminal justice practitioners | Increases the ability to detect and respond appropriately to animal cruelty | ...animal welfare organizations are involved in training; training includes sessions on relevant laws, investigative techniques, and evidence collection and preservation | Training can be time and resource intensive; case consultation with prosecutors may be required to determine the best response to more complicated cases |
| 6 | Improving veterinarians' abilities to conduct forensic examinations | Improving veterinarians' abilities to conduct forensic examinations | ...veterinarians are familiar with legal standards of evidence | Most veterinary medicine programs do not include courses in forensics |
| Responses that Target Offenders | ||||
| 7 | Providing Humane Education programs to at-risk children | Reduces the likelihood that children will mistreat animals | ...children are brought into contact with animals | Identifying children at-risk of animal cruelty can be difficult |
| 8 | Educating low-level offenders | In cases of unintentional mistreatment, provides offenders with the information needed to properly care for their animals | ...police adopt the role of an animal welfare educator; police explain why certain practices are dangerous and how to meet the animal's basic needs | Some offenders will not follow the advice they are given and some do not have the necessary resources to provide proper care |
| 9 | Prosecuting offenders | Increases the penalties associated with animal cruelty and may deter others from mistreating animals | ...used to address only the most egregious cases or those in which the offender has not responded to informal recommendations | Animal cruelty cases can require specialized evidence collection and expert testimony; caring for and holding animals as evidence may be costly |
| 10 | Increasing the severity and range of penalties | Increases the penalties associated with animal cruelty, addresses the underlying causes of animal cruelty, and may deter others from mistreating animals | ...financial penalties are used to defray the costs of treating and caring for the animal victims; offenders' contact with animals is severely restricted | Some offenders will be unable to pay fines imposed; sentencing guidelines may not permit significant consequences for cases involving juveniles or first-time offenders |
| 11 | Counseling and treating more serious offenders | Addresses the underlying causes of animal cruelty | ...the treatment approach is informed by the presence of co-occurring problems (e.g., domestic violence, substance abuse, mental illness); contact with the offender is maintained over a period of time to ensure the problem has not reoccurred | Mental health professionals who are trained to address animal cruelty can be difficult to locate; offenders may have multiple mental health needs (e.g., substance abuse, history of physical or sexual assault) |
| Responses that Protect Animal Victims | ||||
| 12 | Seizing or requiring mistreated animals to be forfeited | Protects victims from further victimization; can prevent excessive holding periods which are a detriment to the animals and a burden to caretakers | ...police have expertise in seizure and forfeiture laws, which can be complicated and often have short timelines; offenders are required to post bond to cover costs associated with animals′ care and treatment | If bond is not required or posted, treating and caring for seized or forfeited animals can be very resource intensive |
| 13 | Creating foster placements for the pets of domestic violence victims | Protects pets from harm | ...foster placements have specific procedures for providing veterinary care, owner visitation, security, and confidentiality | Aligning foster care availability with the needs of clients can be difficult; people willing to foster animals must be actively recruited |
Free Bound Copies of the Problem Guides
You may order free bound copies in any of three ways:
Online: Department of Justice COPS Response Center
Email: askCopsRC@usdoj.gov
Phone: 800-421-6770 or 202-307-1480
Allow several days for delivery.
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Animal Cruelty
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